COC notebook: Canyons flexes No. 1 muscle

Top-ranked Cougars softball goes 4-0 in week

The College of the Canyons softball team ascended to the top of the California Community College Athletic Association state rankings last week.

The Cougars celebrated by winning four more games.

COC went a perfect 4-0 this past week to maintain its top ranking, while the men’s golf team was also victorious at the third Western State Conference match.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams each finished first at a five-team meet at Antelope Valley College. The baseball team split a pair of games against Allan Hancock and then opened WSC play with a win at L.A. Mission.

Softball

The softball team made the trip up to Reedley on Tuesday to play a doubleheader against the hosts and then Sacramento City College.

The Cougars beat Reedley 8-0 and Sacramento City 11-6, and they swept a doubleheader against Palomar on Saturday 3-2 and 7-2.

In the first game, the COC only managed four hits but benefitted from Palomar leaving 14 runners on base.

COC is now 14-0 to start the season, and it will travel to face Glendale at 2:30 p.m. Thursday before a doubleheader at Cerritos starting at 1 p.m. Friday. COC won’t play another home game until a WSC doubleheader against Mission on March 27.

Baseball

Canyons fell at Allan Hancock 7-5 on Tuesday, but gained a measure of revenge with a 6-3 victory over Allan Hancock at home on Thursday.

On Saturday, the Cougars scored twice in the third inning, and the pitching staff made sure that held up to beat L.A. Mission 2-1.

Cory Jones pitched seven innings and gave up one run on seven hits with seven strikeouts to earn the win.

Jake Jelmini singled home Brett Piper to score the first run, while Connor Garelick followed with another RBI single to plate Drew Sandler. Kevin Lenick went 3-for-4, the only Cougar with multiple hits.

In the win over Allan Hancock, Alberto Flores picked up his first win of the season on the mound, scattering four hits over five innings and giving up no earned runs. Sandler picked up his second save by pitching 1/3 of an inning of scoreless ball.

The heart of the COC order did the most damage, with Garelick finishing 2-for-3 with two runs, Sandler and Jelmini both going 2-for-4 with a run, and Piper finishing 2-for-5 with a run. Jelmini hit a solo home run in the fifth inning.

During Tuesday’s loss, starting pitcher David Haerle struggled through five innings, giving up seven runs on 10 hits. Christian Ornelas finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs at the plate, while Garelick and James Bonds both went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI.

COC is now 7-4-1 and will host Bakersfield at 2 p.m. Tuesday, its home opener in WSC play. The Cougars will also host Glendale at 2 p.m. Thursday and then travel to face Pierce at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Track and field

Keyed by a big day from Chris Low, the men’s team scored 164 points to win the five-way meet in Lancaster on Friday, while Alex Ecsedy had a solid meet to help the women score 154 points and also claim victory.

The four other teams included Saddleback, Bakersfield, San Bernardino Valley and Antelope Valley.

Low, the defending state champion in the 800-meter race, won that event in 1 minute, 55.53 seconds, and he also won the 1,500 in 3:56.31. He joined Armando Macias, Nick Brooks and Corey Gill in winning the 4x400 relay in 3:20.83.

The Cougars had a strong showing in the field as well. Cody Cox won the high jump by clearing 1.92 meters, while Daniel Whitham won the shot put with a throw of 13.46 meters. Anthony Creswell and Colton Berkery both cleared 4.10 meters to tie for first in the pole vault.

Evan Austin won his heat of the 400 in 52.85 seconds, the ninth-fastest overall time.

Whitham also finished second in the javelin with a toss of 47.07 meters, while Macias was second in the 400 hurdles in 57.15 seconds. The 4x100 team of Macias, Deshawn Green, Kenny Russell and Joe Babrick finished second in 43.07 seconds.

Alex Ruther finished second in the 3,000 in 9:24.80, while Josh Roper was second in the 110 hurdles in 15.90 seconds.

For the women’s team, Ecsedy won the shot put with a mark of 10.94 meters and the javelin with a mark of 32.65 meters. She also finished second in the discus with a toss of 33.42 meters.

Jacqueline Keeley won the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:05.10, and Aspen Morrison won her heat of the 100 in 13.89 seconds, good for sixth overall.

The relay teams fared well, with the 4x100 team of Jessica Criner, Mercedes McCoy, Al’lajae Jasmine and Amber Wright finished second in 50.28 seconds, and the 4x400 team of Jasmine, Keeley, Wright and Maddie Hardesty wound up second in 4:03.41.

Hardesty also came in second in the 400 with a time of 1:01.97, while Courtney Spaulding tied for second in the pole vault by clearing 2.75 meters.

Allison Perry finished second in the high jump by clearing 1.52 meters, leading a contingent of five Cougars in the event.

This week, Canyons will take part in the WSC North Meet, which will begin at 12 p.m. Friday in Ventura.Men’s golf

Led by Luke Kristo’s round of 72, COC finished with a team score of 379 to win the third WSC match of the season on Monday in Bakersfield.

Ventura finished second with a team score of 391, while Allan Hancock and Glendale tied for third at 396. Citrus shot 397 to finish fourth, Santa Barbara was fifth at 402 and Bakersfield came in last with a score of 411.

For COC, Aaron West shot a 75, Riley Hayfield and Derek Larson each shot 77s and Travis Bregman shot a 78. Jacob Gralitzer shot an 88 but his score was dropped.

The medalist for the event was Glendale’s Mathias Dahl, who shot 70.

The Cougars are now 17-1 against the rest of the conference, and they will take part in the two-day Monterey Invitational at Poppy Hills beginning today.